Things I Love About School Break

It’s 7:56 on a Monday morning, and my kids are snoring peacefully.

Normally by this time, one would have left 20 minutes ago, and the other two would be eating breakfast and getting ready for the day.  Instead, they’re all snug in their beds.

I love the March Break!

I know I’m spoiled.  I work part-time, and much of that work is done at home.  My kids are old enough to occupy themselves while I’m working, and they sleep in for several hours any chance they get.  And I’m very grateful for all of that.

But even when they were little, I enjoyed PA Days, summer vacation, snow days, and any other chance the kids have to stay home from school.  It’s less work for me, and it’s a great mental vacation for them!

No Need To Pack Lunches

If there’s one chore I hate, it’s packing lunches.  I haven’t offloaded this chore to the kids yet, because they already know how to pack a lunch, and at this point, it’s easier for me to continue doing it.  But I really don’t like doing it.  And when school is out, I don’t have to do it!

Quiet Early Mornings

Now, I still get myself up early.  I’m a morning person, and my best work is done when the sun is still waking up.  But when I don’t have to interrupt that workflow to drag kids out of bed and make sure they’re getting ready for their day, I get SO much more done!

A Chance to Recuperate Lost Sleep

My youngest is 8, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned about older kids, it’s that they need a break from activity every once in awhile.  They need to be able to shut their brains off and tune the world out occasionally.  Letting them sleep in or at least wake up on their own timing gives their bodies a chance to regain some of that sleep they’ve been missing, and reset their internal clock.

An Open Schedule

When the kids are off from school, there’s a good chance we’ll make at least one trip to the beach (even when it’s cold!) or the museum or somewhere else, and chances are even better that it will be completely spontaneous.  Breaking up the everyday routine is fun, and we really enjoy our impromptu excursions.  They usually only take 2-3 hours, so they don’t take too much time away from my work day, and the change of scenery is welcomed after weeks of staring at classroom walls.

So I’ll continue to enjoy these breaks from routine.  Kids grow up so fast, and in a few short years they’ll be responsible for a job, paying bills, and doing all of that adult-y stuff we have to do.  In the meantime, I’m going to take advantage of these opportunities to let kids be kids!